The Statesman 2-15-16

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Volume LIX, Issue 18

Computer Science Dept. runs programs for K-12 students

By Rebecca Liebson Contributing Writer

In the past month, the Computer Science Department has begun working on a series of new initiatives directed at inspiring students from kindergarten to 12th grade to pursue an education in computer science. “Some faculty have always participated in small class presentations,” the department chairman, Arie Kaufman, Ph.D., said in a statement. “These efforts are now elevated to the department level and in doing so are more coordinated.” This community outreach effort was put into action on Jan. 29 when 33 students from Hillcrest High School in Jamaica, Queens visited the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The students spoke about coding and computer science careers with CEAS administrators, played a trivia game based on the process used by IBM’s Watson computer with Professor Paul Fodor — who helped develop Watson — and met with an admissions counselor who walked them through the process of applying to college. Along with planning more field trips for primary school students, the Computer Science Department plans on building on its current relationship with kidOYO and Code LI, two affiliated groups focused on bringing “computational thinking into contact with students,” according to the Code LI website. In partnership with Code LI, the Computer Science Department is set to host a #CSforall workshop on March 9, which will give K-12 teachers the opportunity to learn about implementing “creative cod-

ing” in the classroom. The Computer Science Department has also been running a spring coding camp with kidOYO. The program, which began Jan. 31 and ends May 1, teaches kids of all skill levels about web design. In addition to working with different coding languages like Java, Python and Javascript and delving into the world of game development, participants get to work side by side with undergraduates from the Computer Science Department to create a mobile app. “It is important for children of all ages to consider learning computer science because of the multidisciplinary nature of the field,” Kaufman said. “Even having a simple understanding of the field… will give students a leg up no matter what career they choose.”

Monday, February 15, 2016

KRYSTEN MASSA / THE STATESMAN

Nasim Pedrad, above, an Iranian-American comedian, speaks on the Staller Center Main Stage on Feb. 9. She is known for starring on "Saturday Night Live" and "Scream Queens."

University celebrates Darwin Day with lecture By Chereen James Staff Writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARIE KAUFMAN

Arie Kaufman, above, is the chairman of the Computer Science Department, which teaches young children about computer science.

sbstatesman.com

Students, staff and other guests attended a lecture by David Jablonski titled “Mass Extinctions and Evolution: What We’ve Learned Since Darwin,” on Feb. 12, Darwin Day. The lecture in the Earth and Space Sciences building encompassed the goals of the celebration of Charles Darwin’s birthday: to improve scientific literacy and to diminish scientific denialism. Jablonski, a professor in the Department of the Geophysical Sciences and the Committee on Evolutionary Biology at the University of Chicago, spoke about the importance of understanding evolutionary trends and their application to our modern world. Using an editorial cartoon

from The New York Times that depicted dinosaurs dressed in modern attire with humans as their pets, Jablonski pointed out that land-based fossil records, like those of the dinosaurs, do not help to prove or disprove claims surrounding evolution. The cartoon raises questions about the driving forces of evolution and why some species survive while others do not. In order to answer these questions, Jablonski said that we need richer fossil records like those of marine bivalves, such as scallops, mussels and oysters, since the creatures are more abundant and diverse. “They are actually the perfect evolutionary laboratory for studying the big picture of extinction, unlike the dinosaurs,” Jablonski said. Marine bivalves have approx-

imately 3,000 genera, or groups of species, which have diverse life habits and survive all depths and latitudes. Jablonski noted that we may have picked up some of these fossils on the beach. On the other hand, dinosaurs were confined to the area where they were found and have many gaps in their evolutionary lineage, so it is difficult to study the conditions surrounding their existence and eventual extinction. In order to understand why certain species survived mass extinction, such as the extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period which occurred 65 million years ago, Jablonski studied fossil records of marine bivalves from before and after that mass extinction from a meteor strike.

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Farmingdale to create Infrastructure, Transportation and Security Center By Nikita Ramos and Taylor Alessi Contributing Writers

With the prevalent threat of terrorism today, sturdy infrastructures and reinforced security are the next areas of focus for Farmingdale State College. In January, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo released that $6.6 million in Round IV NY SUNY 2020 funding would be awarded to create the Infrastructure, Transportation and Security Center (ITSC) at Farmingdale State College. The education center will structure its new program

around ways to protect numerous transits and other key infrastructures. The academics will include courses in topics such as airport, rail, port and shipping and road security, as well as computer security systems. Peter Crescenti, Farmingdale’s spokesperson, said that the specificity of where the new faculty will be assigned is unknown since they have not been hired yet. “The project is consistent with the government’s strategy for improving infrastructure, reducing transport costs and improving safety,” Professor Mostafa Ardakani, one of the architects

News

of the ITSC and a professor in the School of Engineering and Technology at Farmingdale State College, said. Ardakani said that the long-term vision of the ITSC is to cover several areas of considerable economic and social significance. Several of these areas will focus on operations and traffic management as well as safety and security, which all help to keep the program advanced and innovative. The ITSC at Farmingdale will Continued on page 3

Arts & Entertainment

PHOTO CREIDT: TAYLOR ALESSI

Farmingdale State College will work with Stony Brook to create the Infrastructure, Transportation and Security Center. Opinions

Sports

A look at a traditional Japanese restaurant

New shows coming to Netflix

A letter from the Editor-in-Chief

Men’s Basketball streak runs to 18

MORE ON PAGE 4

MORE ON PAGE 7

MORE ON PAGE 9

MORE ON PAGE 12

Stony Brook student writes about her world travels.

Writer Ryan Williams previews four shows to look out for.

The things we got right and got wrong in the Sex Issue.

Seawolves beat UMBC and New Hampshire.


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